Improvement in means for clewing up gaff-topsails



.. DARE.

- v MEANS OF 01. G UP GAFF TOPSAILS.

n 190,331, Patented MaylS, 1877.

1i W l Mum MW 5M2 UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE,

IMPROVEMENT IN MEANS FOR Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo.

CLEWING UP GAFF-TOPSAILS.

190,881., dated May 15, 1877 application filed November 24, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY DARE, of Whitestone, Queens county,State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in theMode of Glowing Up Gaff-Topsails, which improvement is fully set forthin the following specification, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings, in which like figures or letters refer to like parts.

The object of my invention :s, by means of a novel arrangement of linesand devices, to facilitate the operation known as clewing upgafi-topsails, the advantages of which will be manifest, not only as agreat saving of labor, but as a means of averting danger to life andproperty, by a quick and sure method of handling.

Figure 1 represents a general View of one side of the sail with all thedevices in position, the reverse side being an exact counterpart of thesame.

A is a grommet-hole, worked in at a point in or near the hunt of thesail. B B (see edge view, Fig. 2) is a pair of thimbles, bulls-eyes,fair-leaders, or their equivalents, connected together by a strap, thesaid strap passingthrough the grommet-hole A. From a point on theluff-rope midway of the tack O U the buntlines D D are belayed, and rovethrough the bulls-eyes B B. From thence they pass through the blocks E Eat the head of the sail, and from there down to the deck.

I prefer, in the handling of large top-sails, to place a lizard, F, atan available point on the leech rope to the buntlines, to assist inhauling in, and, for the purpose of strength, I attach a band of canvasor preventor-rope, G, to the sail, connecting the grommet-hole A withthe clew of the sail H.

By means of the above-described rig the sail can be readily clewed up,either to leeward or windward. The buntlines drawing on thebunt, no bagof wind is formed, the sail being, sub stan tially, spilled and taken inwith less labor.

I claim As a means of clewing up gafi-topsails', the combination of thegrommet-hole A, located as described, and provided with bulls-eyes B B,or their equivalents, connected by a strap, the preventor rope or bandG, the double buntlines I) D, and the additional block at the head ofthe sail, all constructed and arranged substantially as described.

WILLIAM HENRY DARE.

Witnesses WM. JARVIS SMITH, WILLIAM HOTINE.

